Can Barack Hussein Obama engage the Middle East? -20 days ’til election
Does Barack Obama have special concern for Muslim and Arab world interests?
If broadcasts (http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/10/mccain_denounces_pitchforkwave.html) from this week’s McCain-Palin rallies are any indication, a sizeable number of Americans say yes. In fact, rumors that Obama is Muslim or Arab have swirled since the early days of his candidacy. These rumors imply that Arabs and Muslims — and Obama — are un-American at best and a terror threat at worst.
But can we count upon a President Obama to actually favor positive ties with Muslims and Arabs? If the results of a recent Pew Global Attitudes survey (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201624.html) are to be believed, the answer may be no. While Obama is far more popular than McCain in most world regions, perceptions of the two candidates are far less divided in much of the Middle East. There, Obama like McCain is viewed skeptically by a majority of survey respondents in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan. In Pakistan, Obama’s 10% confidence figure reflects a dismal conception of American power no matter the leader.
And what new challenges might lie in store for a President Obama in engaging the Middle East? Jamal Dajani (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamal-dajani/meltdown-in-the-desert_b_133541.html) speculates at Huffington Post that economic meltdown in the Gulf States could lead to a worsening of poverty and unemployment in countries like Egypt, where many families depend upon work in the oil-rich Gulf. And as daily hardship increases, the appeal of political extremism to young unemployed Arab youths could also rise, further hardening skeptical views of American leadership — and a President Obama.
Is Barack Obama uniquely placed to engage the Middle East? Our Dear American Voter participants from the Middle East (http://www.linktv.org/dearamericanvoter/videos/region/middle-east) hope to see change from American leaders regardless of who becomes president. What do you think? Let us know here (link to DAV submissions).
